The Future of Australia Day
The chorus of voices calling for a new national day is rising – but what date should we change it to?
And more importantly, how can we create a shared identity and prosperous future for all Australians?
As we have just seen on Capitol Hill, a Nation’s symbols are incredibly important, with the power to create unity or division and the potential to heal or harm.
Any symbol which divides or harms, should surely be decommissioned and replaced by one which validates the past and the pain, whilst creating a shared and prosperous future, for all.
Monash University has been researching Social Inclusion since 2017, and their research confirms Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander people experience the greatest Exclusion of any group in Australia, and that experience has increased by 73% in 3 years!
Whilst the report does not address the role Australia Day plays in this, there is no longer any debate it creates pain for our Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander people and surely that is reason enough to find a new date.
As a Gen X, at school I was not educated about our First Nations’ peoples experiences when Captain Phillip landed / invaded in 1788.
For years I have celebrated Australia Day without giving any thought to the pain it has caused others.
Pulled out from under my rock by mainstream media, my children’s education which now includes our First Nations’ Peoples experiences, visits to Uluru and Kata Tuta, and gripped by the heartache of a sign expressing remorse to all the families who could not bring their children to hospital for treatment, fearful they would be removed from their care - I have tuned into my senses and my sense of injustice has been awakened.
When my son suggested a trip to Sydney’s newly renovated Australian Museum yesterday – I said yes – so long as I could linger in the First Nations’ exhibition, and continue to learn more.
What did I learn?
Whilst some of the information was new, much was not.
This time, however, I was seeing it through the eyes of the impact on our First Nation’s People.
What I also realise, is the Exhibition’s goals are the same as the Jewish Holocaust museums I’ve visited in New York and Berlin.
It validates and educates about atrocity and injustice and offers clues to how we can promote healing and a better future.
As a result of the work I do creating high performance teams and inclusive leaders, I am sharing some learnings, in the hope we can find a new day AND create and celebrate a shared purpose and prosperous future for us all. It needs to be more than just a symbol.
To better understand others’ experiences, I link them to my own - that empathy enables a deeper connection and understanding of other people’s experiences.
Here is some of what I learned from our visit to the Australian Museum yesterday.
The land on which we live creates our geographic identity. Having that removed is incredibly painful.
Forced to flee Europe before WWII, I now realise my own Father unconsciously spent years returning to his parents’ homelands, seeking connection to ‘country’. His connection to both his historical homeland and the land of his birth, were an important part of his own identity.
Our national identity comes from the connection to our language and our stories. As any psychologist will tell you, having those validated is an important part of healing, as is creating a new story which enables us to connect and contribute positively and productively in the future.
Saddened I can’t share this insight with my late Father, I now better understand the value he got from speaking both German and English and from meeting the few remaining family members on his travels to Europe, learning their stories of pain and of their efforts to rebuild and create a prosperous new future. The sooner the rebuild can occur, the faster the recovery.
Our social identity comes from the connection we have to our families and friends. Our ‘mob’ grounds us and gives us support and confidence to contribute and challenge us all to create a better future.
I was fortunate to experience that last night, with my ‘mob’.
Its impact on wellbeing and belonging cannot be underestimated.
Our socioeconomic identity, comes from our connection to opportunities. Without those, we are locked out and our financial, physical and psychological wellbeing deteriorates.
By virtue of my white priviledge, I have been incredibly fortunate, but as a woman in a man’s world, it has not always been easy.
No society can truly thrive, when the connection for some is weak or broken, or when your land and language is not recognised, or your stories are disrespected or just plain trampled on.
No individual or society can thrive when you do not have a ‘recognised’ mob, or cannot see a shared and prosperous future for yourself, your friends or your family.
To create strong future foundations, healing the pain of the past is critical. If you doubt this, look no further than Grace Tame’s acceptance speech as Australian of the year. Her reactions to the acknowledgement of her pain is visceral.
Just as a strong and positive individual sense of attachment and belonging is critical to an individual reaching their full potential - for our society to reach its full potential - all of us need to reach our full potential.
What does this mean for Australia Day?
Australia Day was created at a time when we did not recognise the land, language, stories, family and future of Indigenous Australians.
To create a shared and prosperous future, we must acknowledge the land, language, stories and life experiences of all Australians. The longer the pain continues, the more damage is done and trauma inflicted.
January 26th has become a symbol which reinforces pain and the exclusion too many feel as Indigenous Australians. There is no doubt in my mind, the sooner we change the date, whilst continuing to do the important work which will create a shared and prosperous future for Indigenous Australians, the sooner their healing can begin.
After discussion with my ‘mob’ last night, none of us can see an obvious alternative date.
So as someone who uses the science of diversity and inclusion to find the best answers to complex problems, I would love to have your suggestions for a date which supports connection and community for all Australians.
Let's start a healthy discussion and debate: what date would create a shared future for all Australians?
